Severe lack of diabetic specialist services

A diabetic charity has warned that people who suffer from the condition are in increasing danger of having feet amputated because of an "appalling lack" of care.

The charity said a survey of 206 hospitals in England and Wales found 84 did not have specialist diabetic foot-care teams.

A complication of the condition is that it can prevent blood reaching the feet and lead to gangrene and amputation if it is not spotted in time.

Ulcers usually form on the feet and can be treated before amputation is required.

A person with diabetes has 20 times more chance of having a foot amputated than a person who does not suffer from the condition.

Chief executive Barbara Young said: "It is appalling that so many hospitals are letting down people with diabetes by still not having one of these teams in place."

"It is a tragic example of the short-termist approach of some hospitals that they are failing to invest in an multi-disciplinary foot-care team despite the fact that the financial savings from doing fewer amputations is likely to outweigh the cost of setting up one of these teams."

NHS Diabetes director Anna Morton said in March: "It is not acceptable that thousands of people with diabetes lose a limb each year because of poor quality care. It is even less easy to accept when we now have such a strong economic case for change."